NASA has selected
ITT Industries, Inc. (NYSE: ITT) Space Systems Division for a $359 million
contract to develop, manufacture and test an advanced Imager for the next
generation of geostationary weather satellites operated and funded by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The new Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), will be a primary instrument on
NOAA’s future Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
beginning with the GOES-R mission in 2008. The ABI will view the Earth from a
22,300-mile-high-orbit over the equator gathering critical weather data for
use by the National Weather Service for routine and severe storm forecasts.
The GOES constellation is one third of America’s early warning systems for
severe weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes. The other systems include
NEXRAD radars and the Polar Orbiting satellites known as POES. POES
instruments are also developed and manufactured by ITT.
“As recent events have demonstrated, improving weather forecasting remains
critical. ITT Industries is proud to continue our long tradition of being a
supplier of key instruments for America’s early warning weather system,” said
Hank Driesse, President, ITT Industries, Defense. “This is a key program win
for ITT’s new Space Systems Division and we are well positioned to address
future opportunities in the $6 billion remote sensing markets.”
ITT Industries’ Imagers have a long history of service with NOAA starting
with the TIROS weather satellites in 1978. Evolutionary changes to the
sensors are flying on board the current GOES spacecraft as well as the Low
Earth Orbit POES satellites. Similar instruments being produced by ITT will
also be critical to both the European and Japanese weather forecasting
systems.
The ABI is an advanced version of the current series of GOES Imagers, but
will have a greater number of measurement and data channels, improved spatial
resolution and faster Earth coverage rates to improve forecasts of hurricanes,
tornadoes, floods, and other severe weather.
ITT’s major subcontractors in this work include DRS Technologies, SSG
Precision Optronics, Northrop Grumman Space Technologies (NGST), and Honeywell
Space Systems.
About ITT Industries
ITT Industries, Inc. (http://www.itt.com) is a $6 billion global multi-
industry company based in White Plains, NY. ITT supplies advanced technology
products and services in key markets including: fluid and water management
including water treatment; defense communication, opto-electronics,
information technology and services; electronic interconnects and switches;
and other specialty products.
In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Industries stock is traded
on the Midwest, Pacific, London, Paris and Frankfurt exchanges.
